About the CWVE

What Is the Child Welfare Virtual Expo?

The Child Welfare Virtual Expo (CWVE) is an annual, no-cost event sponsored by the Children's Bureau and the Capacity Building Center for States (Center).

Over the course of 2 half-days on Wednesday and Thursday, May 22–23, 2024, the CWVE will bring together child welfare leaders and professionals from federal organizations, states, tribes, territories, and local organizations to engage in online discussions and real-time learning opportunities about key components of transformational and inspirational leadership in child welfare. Join us to apply new knowledge, establish peer-to-peer connections, and foster actionable insights and a deeper understanding about child welfare leaders as well as their impact on workforce resilience, well-being, and dedication and systems change in child welfare.

What Is the Theme of the 2024 CWVE?

This year's CWVE seeks to raise awareness of successful leadership components, share inspirational leadership journeys, and facilitate connections. 

At the CWVE 2024, you and your fellow child welfare colleagues will be able to:

• Build awareness of key components of effective leadership and its impact on systems change in child welfare
• Discover how ensuring diversity at all levels of child welfare leadership can contribute to improved community relations, child welfare professional resilience, and better outcomes for children, young people, and families in child welfare
• Learn how to create a more psychologically safe and resilient culture and climate at child welfare agencies that prioritize the well-being and safety of all child welfare professionals
• Access resources and practical tools that can be used to improve effective leadership practices and activities related to inspirational leadership
• Connect with peers and subject matter experts in the areas of leadership and workforce resilience, and well-being in child welfare

The 2024 CWVE plenary and workshop sessions will feature diverse speakers, allowing participants to engage and connect with others, reflect, and assess their individual leadership styles.

Who Can Attend the CWVE?

The CWVE will bring together a variety of federal, state, tribal, and local child welfare professionals and partners, including (but not limited to):

• Child welfare administrators, directors, and deputies
• Child welfare program managers, mid-level managers, and supervisors
• Child welfare continuous quality improvement and evaluation professionals
• Child welfare agency human resources professionals
• Child welfare training directors
• Child welfare agency caseworkers and other direct practice professionals
• Child welfare information technology and information systems professionals
• Child maltreatment and prevention partners
• Legislative and policy partners
• University partners

Connect online with presenters and subject matter experts. Take advantage of this unique opportunity to find information and strategies on improving effective leadership and fostering a more psychologically safe and resilient culture and climate at child welfare agencies.

What Will I Do at the CWVE?

Join the CWVE over the course of 2 half-days on Wednesday and Thursday, May 22–23, 2024, from your computer, tablet, or mobile device to:

• Join interactive sessions developed by diverse child welfare leaders from the comfort of your home or office
• Participate in discussions and networking opportunities to connect with CWVE presenters and learn how to put the information and strategies discussed into practice
• Gain insight into your leadership style, strengths, and practices through self-assessments and workshops sessions that will help you identify actionable steps to enhance your work and team dynamics
• Chat and exchange ideas with child welfare leaders, subject matter experts, and your peers from across the country
• Download relevant tools and resources to create positive change through your work
• Explore the virtual Exhibit Hall and meet with representatives from up to 20 federally funded organizations
• Visit the virtual Resource Gallery to access curated, topical collections of child welfare resources

What Opportunities Will I Have to Connect With Colleagues, Presenters, and Other Attendees?

Enjoy all the benefits of attending a conference from your home or office (or even on the go!) without the travel costs and time away from home. Whether you're seeking new connections or virtually meeting with colleagues, there's no shortage of networking opportunities at the CWVE.

• Visit networking spaces: Dedicated spaces across various settings, including Networking Lounges, Exhibit Halls, and Virtual Galleries, to allow participants to interact directly with presenters and subject matter experts on various topics
• Participate in real-time conversations: Live sessions and small-group breakouts offering attendees tangible action steps to apply and put into practice knowledge learned
• Connect with peers: One-to-one virtual calls using an innovative CWVE interface mirroring an actual in-person conference experience to enhance and provide a direct connection with other attendees
• Take part in interactive badge activities: Platform features that will encourage attendee engagement, friendly competition tied to active participation in CWVE offerings, and exploration of the virtual platform
• Explore the Exhibit Hall and Resource Gallery: Easy-to-find areas that feature downloadable resources and tools to add to your virtual briefcase

Why Was the 2024 CWVE Scheduled for 2 Days? 

Recognizing the challenge of full-day commitments, the Center transitioned the 2024 CWVE to a schedule of 2 half-days to provide flexibility for jurisdictions and address workforce challenges. Attendees can choose sessions based on their interests and availability. 

We hope that this flexible live-streamed event over 2 half-days will better accommodate diverse schedules and time zones while ensuring a balanced and engaging experience through networking opportunities, talks, and sessions.

What Are the Differences Between Day One and Day Two of the 2024 CWVE?

Each CWVE day will feature unique opening remarks and morning sessions to give attendees an opportunity to expand their knowledge of transformational leadership and hear diverse perspectives on leadership in child welfare. The following four topics will be available concurrently during the afternoon workshop sessions on both days of the CWVE:

• Psychological safety and belonging
• Transformational leadership
• Leading across systems
• Leadership roles and opportunities in the Child and Family Services Review

This setup offers attendees the chance to participate in a different afternoon workshop session on each day. These workshops sessions will highlight tangible actions and skills participants can take into their work while also providing peer-to-peer connections and learning opportunities. 

Attendees are encouraged to attend different afternoon workshops sessions on both days.

What Are the New Community Engagement Guidelines for CWVE? 

The Center and Children's Bureau seek to create an inclusive environment for this event. We expect all participants to communicate respectfully, practice empathy, use active listening skills, and contribute constructive and relevant comments. We will remove any participants who break these guidelines from the conference platform.